


you wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you

by daisieflowers



Series: observations and reflections through the eyes of nancy wheeler [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, Nancy's POV, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 12:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20564669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisieflowers/pseuds/daisieflowers
Summary: Everyone is back in town for the wedding we've all been waiting for. Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper are finally going to say 'I Do'





	you wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, it's part of the same universe/timeline as my other two one shots in the series. It can be read as a stand alone, there is really only a few, small characteristics established through the other fics that i've wrote. including the fact Nancy is not aware of Robin's sexuality and assumes they are in a relationship when they are actually just friends.

It was a lovely spring day, the perfect setting for the intimate ceremony. The sun was shining high in the sky, creating a warm atmosphere in the town. Nancy observed her reflection in her desktop mirror before reaching for her powder brush once again, dusting some extra pink blush across her cheeks to give them a cute, rosy glow.

Nancy had got back in town late last night after delays leaving Connecticut, she had hoped to get home earlier so that she could spend some extra time in her hometown catching up with everyone. But she had exams on the lead up to the ceremony and so she couldn’t get home any earlier.

Luckily, she was all done for the semester, so she hoped to stay a few extra days after the ceremony in order to catch up with everyone before it was time to head back to college for her final semester of freshman year. It seemed crazy that she was so close to ending her first year when it felt like only yesterday she was leaving Hawkins to start the next chapter of her life at Yale.

With her makeup done, Nancy stepped away from her dressing table mirror in order to take in her full appearance in the full length mirror she had stuck to the back of her door many years before. Nancy wore a pale cream dress that had pastel coloured flowers across the fabric. She had bought it a few months back when she had spotted it in the sale and felt it would be perfect for today.

Nancy was currently growing her hair back out, sick of the shorter look that she had been sporting for the last few years and wanted her longer hair back, but while it was still growing she had pinned it up on her head, with a just a few lose strands falling round her face. She patted down her dress once more, making sure there were no creases or crinkles in it before grabbing her pink lip gloss and running the wand over her lips to give them some sparkle.

Grabbing her bag, she headed downstairs, enjoying the familiarity of been home in her childhood house. She loved college and was enjoying living away from Hawkins after everything that had transpired over the years in the lead up to her leaving; but she still missed her childhood home while she was away, and she enjoyed it when she got the chance to return home and see her family and friends.

Everyone else was already in the living room, her dad was sat on his chair watching the television, already wearing his own suit. Holly was curled up beside him in her pale pink dress that her parents had bought her for the ceremony, while her mom and Mike stood off to the side. Her mom fussing over her brothers suit and Nancy couldn’t fight the smile that curled up on her face.

The nostalgia of it all hitting her like a ton of bricks, reminding her a little of when they attended the snowball a few years back and her mom had fussed all over Mike, regarding his suit and how smart he looked. The only difference now been that Mike stood tall and proud, practically looming over their mom.

Joyce and Hopper had invited the whole family, they had grown close to the children over the years after the many fights with the upside down and the mutual love between the Wheeler children and the Hopper/Byers children and so it would have seemed weird had the full family not been invited given their history together.

Jonathan had told Nancy that originally the pair had planned on making it just a small intimate ceremony with just their small group that had accumulated over the years. But neither Joyce nor Hopper could think of a logical reason why they would invite a large group of teenagers and young adults to a wedding without extending the invite to their families. So, by the time they had compiled the list, adding extras such as parents, families and plus one, it was going to be bigger than they originally hoped for or planned. Although they had managed to make the ceremony significantly more intimate than the reception was going to be. Most of the town were on the guest list for the reception.

The wedding was taking place at the small church on the other side of town. It was a beautiful building, had stood in its place for over 100 years giving it a cozy, rustic feeling; which meant it was often the setting for many weddings in the town, even her own parents had got married there all those years back before Nancy was even born. It had a large garden leading to the church, with cherry blossom trees blooming along the outskirts, adding to lovely, spring day setting.

When her dad parked the car on the street by the church, there were already several guests mulling around outside. As the five of them piled out the car they caught the attention of Dustin and his mom who were stood together by the gate. Dustin was calling for Mike, waving excitedly with his usual bright smile plastered on his face. Nancy could barely remember a time when that boy was not smiling, he always seemed happy no matter what.

They five of them headed over to greet them, her mom striking conversation with Mrs. Henderson straight away, talking about the weather and how lovely it was for the occasion; while Mike and Dustin fell into conversation about some nerdy thing that Nancy had no clue about.

They all stayed outside for a while, waiting for other guests to arrive before they headed inside to take their seats. Nancy stood with her dad and Holly, not wanting to interrupt her brother and his friend and not really knowing who to go talk with, Jonathan was with his mom, and anyone Nancy had been even slightly close with in school were not attending the wedding as they were all at college. Five minutes later there was a lull in conversation when Dustin’s smile returned in full force, his hands shooting up towards the sky and a heyyy calling from his mouth.

Nancy turned to see Steve heading their way and Nancy wasn’t surprised his appearance had prompted Dustin’s excitement since she was vaguely away of how much her brothers friend missed the older man. This was the first time that Nancy had seen Steve since he moved to California all those months back, she knew that he had returned for the holidays in December since her brother and her friends had met up with him a few times, but her and Steve hadn’t made the effort to meet up for a catch-up since things had never fully recovered between them after the breakup and so it was always a little awkward between them. Nancy had thought that everyone might have met up at some point to celebrate been back together, but with so much going on they never got around to it.

Nancy couldn’t help taking in her ex-boyfriends’ appearance, letting her eyes roam over him briefly. Steve looked good, he looked happy, he looked healthy. He was wearing a pair of pale blue suit pants that were tight fitting and hugged his legs nicely. He had paired his pants with a white shirt that had a light floral design covering it and the first several buttons were unbuttoned to show off his toned chest. Nancy was pretty sure he hadn’t been that toned when they were dating and wondered if he had been working out more. His skin was significantly more tanned than Nancy had ever seen, she put the healthy glow of his skin down the California weather that he was currently reaping the benefits of every day. His hair was just like always, styled high and perfect with a slight curl towards at the front.

By his side was the girl Nancy knew to be Robin. Nancy knew her exclusively through Steve, the pair had very little in common apart from their mutual friends but Nancy took in her appearance too, noting the outfit the girl was wearing and how different her style was too Nancy’s.

Robin was wearing a red and black polka dot skirt that fell just short of her knee, it was held up with a large Chucky black belt around her waist and it was paired with a simple black top that had its sleeves sat off her shoulders. She had paired her outfit with a pair of simple black heels, which she seemed utterly uncomfortable wearing and kept reaching towards Steve like he was a safety net to stop her from falling.

Unlike Nancy, she had limited makeup on her face, just a small pinch of blusher, a coating of brown, red lipstick on her lips and some mascara from what Nancy could see and her hair was piled on top of her head just like it often had been when Nancy remembers her walking round Hawkins. Her skin also had a sun kissed glow to it, although not as much as Steve’s, but Nancy chalks that up to the other girls fair skin.

Steve greets Dustin in their usual, over complicated high five that includes a lightsaber at one point before bringing in the slightly shorter male for a hug. Dustin had another growth spurt since Nancy last saw him and he is now practically the same height as Steve who had previously always been the tallest in their group – not including Hopper. Once the two males have greeted one another, Dustin turns to Robin for a hug while Mrs. Henderson practically throws herself at Steve. Wrapping her arms round his neck in a tight hug, making him bend down to reach her height as she coos about how good Steve looks.

Nancy finds it all adorable, through his friendship with Dustin, Steve had developed an almost surrogate mom in Mrs. Henderson. She was always gushing over everything Steve did for Dustin, and Nancy knows she used to invite him round for weekly dinners when he was still in Hawkins and more often than not would send Dustin round with leftovers for him to cook himself. Steve had never been particularly close to his own parents so it was nice to see him develop a bond with some form of motherly figure.

The group remain outside the church for a little while longer just conversing, the Sinclair’s showed up soon after, Erica greeting Steve and Robin with a ‘Sup nerds,’ but she hugs them both and has a smile on her face which is nice to see.

Much to Nancy’s surprise, Max shows up with her mom. Through conversations with Mike, her mom and the general media outlets in Hawkins, she had half expected the younger red head to not show after things became tense when Hopper arrested her stepdad just before Christmas for drunk driving offences and a whole load of history regarding Mr. Hargrove had come to the surface, including multiple accounts of physical abuse towards his late son Billy. It had been a difficult court case since there was no Billy to testify and give evidence, but eventually a conviction came through and he was now serving five years for his offences.

Nancy kept updated on the trial and she knew that at the time, Max’s mom had come under scrutiny as many were quick to judge her for allowing the abuse to happen under her roof without reaching out for help or stopping it. Nancy felt it was unfair, Mrs. Hargrove was probably just as much a victim in that house, after all her husband was willing to abuse his own child, he was probably capable of significantly more.

Everything had died down now and it seemed the views that were once directed at Mrs. Hargrove had pretty much disappeared; but she was still a little surprised to see her at the wedding for the chief who was ultimately in charge of bringing her husband down. Nancy had heard that Mrs. Hargrove had become some sort of recluse in recent months. She was likely here for Max, since Max was so close with El who was still under the legal guardianship of Hopper, and since Max was close with the police chief herself. But even so it was still brave. The two of them didn’t come over to the group, instead made their way straight into the church, although Max nodded over in a sort of greeting and Nancy felt sorry that the girl was not spending the day with her friends.

The rest of the group followed their lead and started to make their way inside, heading up the isle of the church and sitting close to the front. The Wheelers lead the way down one of the church benches, taking their seats with spaces for the Henderson’s to follow them and sit on the bench with them. Steve goes to sit by Dustin, but Robin grabs his hand with a “I don’t think so dingus.” Muttered under he breathes, pulling him to sit beside her on the bench behind along with the Sinclair’s so they have some room and are not too cramped. Dustin looks a little downhearted but Steve claps him on the shoulders as a sort reassurance.

Nancy glances over to Hopper who is already stood at the front of the church, conversing with the minister. He looks smart in his slim fitting black suit that is pressed and fits him exactly right. He looks happy and that makes Nancy happy as well. For a long time they had such heartache in their lives, and Nancy knows that Hooper’s heartache started long before the Upside Down was even discovered, so they deserve all the happiness in the world.

Soon everyone is finally seated and ready for the ceremony to begin. The music starts and the doors in the back open up, Will and El emerging from the garden. Will is dressed in his own suit similar to Hoppers and looks incredibly smart. Just like all of Mikes friends, he has also shot up since the last time Nancy saw him and he now stands tall and proud; smiling brightly. Nancy still can’t believe how far they have come since that awful week when Will was believed to be dead for several days.

El stood next to him with their arms linked, she wore a beautiful pale-yellow bridesmaid dress that went out from the waist in what Nancy would describe like a princess dress. He hair, which had grown considerable since they first met her and now feel over her shoulders and down her back, was pinned up and she carried a beautiful bouquet of pink roses. The pair walked down the aisle, smiling bright before reaching where Hopper was stood, Will going to stand on the side that Joyce would soon occupy with El standing by her dads side, giving him a hug before taking her final position.

The music picks up with the traditional wedding march and everyone stands up as the doors once again open. Nancy glances down, catches sight of Jonathan first since he is the taller one of the two, he too is wearing a suit that matches Hopper and his younger brothers. Nancy admires just how good her boyfriend looks at that moment. Things had been slightly strained between them recently and they had not seen each other in almost two months thanks to college, Nancy was looking forward to spending the next few days in his company once again.

On Jonathan’s arm is his mom, with Joyce’s parents not around anymore, Jonathan was the one giving his mom away. Joyce wasn’t in a typical wedding dress, not that Nancy expected it since she can’t remember ever seeing her boyfriend’s mom in a dress. Instead of a dress, Joyce is wearing a cream coloured skirt suit. The skirt falling just below her knee in a straight cut. Joyce’s hair has been pinned up in a similar style to El’s and she was carrying a bouquet identical to the one El carried. The smile on her face was radiant, bright and shining as it reached her eyes; and when Nancy glanced back at Hopper she noticed he was also wearing a smile that mirrored Joyce’s and Nancy felt the warmth and love spread through her.

The ceremony is beautiful and exactly what Nancy would have expected. It was understated and delicate and perfectly Joyce and Hopper. They share some beautiful vows and Nancy feels tears in her eyes at the amount of love and happiness between the two of them.

The ceremony didn’t last too long, in fact it was over quicker than Nancy excepted and soon she is standing with everyone else in the church, clapping as the happy couple walked back down the aisle, their hands linked together and bright smiles on their faces.

Nancy followed her family and friends back out of the small church and into the fresh air; waiting around with everyone for the happy couple to re-emerge from the church so that they could cheer for them and throw the confetti. Jonathan was in charge of the photography and Nancy watched her boyfriend snap some beautiful photos of the happy couple.

Hopper and Joyce are holding the reception for all their guests, plus many more of the town’s residents, Jonathan had told Nancy that in a town like Hawkins many residents wanted an invite the chief of polices wedding, but because the pair wanted a small, intimate ceremony they had compromised and held a bigger reception for everyone to attend.

The newly married couple headed towards the vintage BMW they had hired as their wedding car, climbing in and driving away with a wave to their guests. With the happy couple gone, everyone else starts to head to their own cars, Nancy following her own parents after they bid a brief farewell to the Henderson’s and Sinclair’s who pile into their own cars to head to the reception. Nancy catches Jonathan climbing into his own car with El and Will, their eyes meet briefly and her boyfriend sends her a smile before ducking inside the car, she also catches a glance of Steve who is currently talking to Mrs. Hargrove much to her surprise, while Robin stands to the side chatting with Max.

The hall the reception is taking place in is decorated in a nice, subtle decor. There is a chart by the door for seating arrangement and Nancy notes that the party are all sat on one table while their parents are on another. She figures this is a way Joyce and Hopper could bring them all together. She’s glad about this because it will be nice to be sat with their small group instead of stuck with her parents all night, but at the same time she will miss Jonathan by her side. He is of course sat on the head table along with Will, El and their parents. But she takes a seat beside Mike and smiles at Dustin, Lucas and Erica who have already gathered at the table.

Steve arrives around five minutes later with both Robin and Max. Nancy notes that Steve has now pulled on a pale blue jacket that matches his blue trousers and that the Robin has swapped her black heels for a pair of black high tops, which honestly doesn’t really surprise Nancy at this point. Max explains her mom had to head home for another engagement, but had agreed with Steve that he could bring Max and then take her home later. Nancy figures that was what they had been talking about when she spotted them leaving the church and she isn’t surprised Max’s mom didn’t want to come to the reception.

Steve takes a seat in the empty one beside Dustin - Nancy is fairly certain that the younger boy had been purposely saving it for Steve - and Max rounds the table to sit by Lucas, leaving Robin the empty seat between Steve and Nancy. She sits down without any fuss, smiling at the rest of the table as she gets comfortable.

“So are you two in town for long or just for the wedding?” Lucas asks across the table, clearly directing his question at Steve and Robin.

“We are home for 5 days but then we got to head back up to Berkeley for Robin’s final exams.” Steve answers with an easy smile. Nancy had heard through her brother and his friends that’s Steve had managed to find some work in California and right now had no immediate plans to return to Hawkins indefinitely. She really doesn’t blame him, Nancy misses Hawkins but she doesn’t plan on returning herself.

“Will you guys be home at all during Spring Break? Or you heading off on one of the crazy party adventures like all the other college kids?” Max asks, looking interested in what the two have planned, Nancy is pretty certain Max has a secret wild side and out of the entire party will be the one most interested in parties.

Nancy didn’t have any of her own plans for the Spring Break, a few of her friends had invited her along with them, but her and Jonathan had initially talked about doing something together and although nothing was planned or set in stone, she didn’t really want to risk not seeing Jonathan at all over the break.

“We are heading down to Daytona Beach for Spring Break this year, a big group of some of my college friends have hired a mini bus to drive down together and get in the party spirit. Steve is tagging along with us since he’s jealous he doesn’t get to join in with any other college rituals.” Robin says, an amused tone to her voice and she bumps her shoulder with Steve as she smiles at him.

“You seem to be forgetting that you are the one who invited me to tag along because you didn’t want to go on your own. You’re just jealous because OUR friends all like me better.” Steve says, his own tone fond and an amused look on his face. Nancy had wondered if it’s weird for him, what with Robin attending college and him just working, but from the conversation it seems like Steve fits in just fine, even if he isn’t taking any classes.

“You wish dingus.” Robin replies simply, and before anything else can be said they are all asked to raise from their seats because the happy couple have finally arrived.

Over the next hour or so everyone eats their lovely food, drinks their drinks and engages in conversation with everyone. Jonathan is sat up at the front with his family, but he meets Nancy’s eyes across the hall multiple times and smiles at her which makes Nancy smile as well. She’s missed him.

Nancy spends most of her night talking with Mike, Lucas and Max. Nancy knows her brother is a little lost without El by his side just like she is without Jonathan so they can fall into an easy conversation. Steve and Robin spend the night telling Dustin and Erica all about their adventures in California.

Nancy tunes in and out of their conversation between her own conversation. It sounds like the pair are enjoying California, Robin talks about the amazing culture and weather and experiences she is getting from studying at Berkeley. Talks with enthusiasm about the classes and everything she has learnt; it sounds really good.

Steve seems just as happy, chimes in about all the places he’s been to thanks to Robin and the people he has met. It seems like he isn’t as pleased with his job working at a local supermarket and that he hopes to find something better in the future, but he’s happy in California and it seems him and Robin are up to all sorts. He even jokes with Max about how he’s been learning to surf.

Nancy tells Lucas and Max about Yale and shares some of her own experiences with them. They seemed interested, especially Max who asks about the classes and the social life. Nancy doesn’t let into just how wild some of the college parties get, doesn’t want to give Max anything to fuel her. But she tells them how the university always had things going on, events and clubs that allow you to interact with other college kids and share your own interests.

After everyone has eaten their food and toasts have been given; Hopper gives a speech about how lucky he is to have met Joyce who has managed to pull him out of many sticky situations over the years and stuck by his side. Jonathan gives a small speech about how happy he is his mom finally found someone who valued her and made her happy, while Joyce spoke about how glad she was to have let Hopper into her life.

Once the toasts were done, the happy couple had cut the cake and everyone was finished with their food, the dance floor was finally open and the party began. Joyce and Hopper opened up the dance floor with a slow dance between the two of them, it’s a song Nancy doesn’t recognize but it’s slow and romantic all the same.

The Byers/Hopper clan come over to their table during the dance. El perched herself onto Mikes knee with a soft smile, Will shuffles Dustin over slightly so the teens are sharing his chair to watch the dance, while Jonathan crouches down by Nancy’s side as she slides her arm across his shoulders. Everyone watches the first dance with warmth and emotion and applause rings out when they finish.

The dance floor is then open to everyone else as another slow song starts and suddenly most people in the room are heading over. Nancy takes Jonathan’s hand and lets him guide her towards the dance floor before she wraps her arm around his neck and his arms come around her waist. It had been a long time since the pair had danced like this, prom last year was probably the last time and Nancy gets that warmth feeling in her stomach, she’s missed this, she’s missed her boyfriend and so she lets her head come down to rest on his shoulder, a smile dancing on her lips.

She spots her parents across the floor, dancing together with smiles on their faces. They don’t look or feel as genuine as she feels hers is, but then she can’t remember when her parents ever looked the way her and Jonathan do. She knows they love each other, but there is a difference between love and in love, she knows that.

She also spots Mike and El, the two of them are wrapped up similar to her and Jonathan, with Mikes arms rested round Els waistline, hers around his neck with her head on his shoulder, he is a good few inches taller than El now, who rests shoulder length with him.

She spots their other friends as well, Lucas and Max are dancing together, arms like everyone else’s as they laugh about something Nancy is unsure of. She notices Steve and Robin as well, they are standing slightly different, with Steve holding ones of Robins hands and the pair having their other arms wrapped round one another, like Max and Lucas they also seem to be laughing about something. Their position doesn’t feel as intimate as the other couples, but when Nancy thinks about it they are never too intimate. She can’t think of a time when they have overly displayed forms of public affection. Sure, she has seen Robin loop her arm through Steve’s, rest her head on his shoulder or put her feet in his lap. Steve often putting his arm over her shoulders or wrapping her up in hugs. But she has never seen them hold hands, or kiss.

She wonders if Robin isn’t a fan, after all Steve used to be the one who was practically shouting from the rooftops about his relationship with Nancy and so she can’t see him wanted to suddenly be all modest about his relationships now. But whatever the reason, it obviously wasn’t too big of a deal between the two, since they had been going strong for a long time now. Nancy had half expected everything to fall apart when they headed off to California, half expected Robin to start interacting with her college friends and forget about Steve. But they seemed just as happy now as they had together in Hawkins.

Nancy also notices that Dustin had managed to persuade Erica into dancing with him, and that Will at some point had asked Holly to dance with him which made Nancy feel happy to see how sweet he was. Will had yet to find a girlfriend, or really show an interest in girls, so he didn’t really have anyone else to dance with since all his friends were partnered up.

Nancy stays on the dance floor for a while, the songs change up between beats and she alternates between people. She dances with her own parents at some point, along with her brother and his friends when Jonathan disappears to dance with his own mom. She has fun and enjoys dancing.

She’s going home with Jonathan tonight, he had asked her when they were dancing since there was only him and the kids at their house tonight, he was in charge so his mom and Hopper could spend the night at a hotel further out. Jonathan clearly didn’t want to think about his moms endeavors with the police chief, but was happy he had the place to himself to give him and Nancy some time, after all, Will and El would disappear to their own rooms when they got home, probably complete tuckered out.

After dancing for a while, Nancy heads to get a drink and give her feet a rest, she can feel the familiar ache that always came when she wears heels for a long period of time. She’s just ordered her lemonade - she’s been drinking soft drinks all night considering she’s still only 20 and even though he’s pretty lax when they have their own group get togethers, she can’t see it going down good to be drinking underage at the chiefs wedding - when Steve Harrington joins her at the bar.

He orders himself a beer, he’s the only one lucky enough to be 21 and able to drink, and a Diet Coke, before turning to greet her, his usual charming smile plastered across his face. He looked hot, with rosy cheeks and his hair starting to drop slightly, he had also removed the blue jacket once again and Nancy could see a thin sheen of sweat on his arms. He had been dancing and bouncing about the dance floor so she wasn’t surprised really.

“Hey Nance, how are you? Enjoying been back home?” He asks with his usual friendly tone. For a while it had been very strained between the two of them after the breakup, Nancy knew how hurt Steve had been following it and had tried to keep her distance, she stuck with Jonathan and her stuck with the children. They didn’t really come back together until the incident at Starcourt Mall, which brought them back together in a vague sense and developed into what they were today. She understands they will never be too close, it will probably only ever be parties and events held by their mutual friends that will bring them together, but she’s glad it’s no longer hostile between them.

“Yeah, it’s so nice to be home, to see everyone and spend time with my family. It’s nice to have something familiar; college is great and I love it so much, but there is something about the comfort of coming home. Even if it is for a short time. Are you glad to be back?” Nancy asks, taking the lemonade which, the bartender had just placed in front of her.

“We only got in this morning, wasn’t sure when Rob’s last exam was and then when we found out couldn’t get any last minute flights so we’ve had to spend the last 3 days driving down which has took some time out of our plans to see everyone. But it’s nice to be back, I’m looking forward to spending some time with the shitheads before we head back at the end of the week. California’s great and I love it but I definitely miss the kids.” Steve says with a fond smile as he glances over at the group, they all seem to have merged together and are dancing in one big group now, mingling with one another, it’s nice, it’s familiar.

“It’s weird, they aren’t exactly kids anymore but I wonder if there will ever be a time when we don’t think of them like that.” Nancy muses with a soft smile and Steve turns his attention back to her.

“I know what you mean, Dustin is pretty much the same height as me now and is every bit of a man as I am, yet I still see him like I did all those years ago, as the sassy son of a bitch who invited himself into the passenger seat of my car so I could help him fight the monster that ate his cat. I sometimes wonder if he’ll ever grow out of been the annoying kid that wormed his way into my life and somehow became one of my best friends. It’s weird.” Steve answers it’s honest and raw and fills Nancy with a warmth feeling. It’s always nice to hear Steve talk about the children with fondness, he’s always been closer to Dustin than the others, but Nancy knows his words apply to the others as well.

Over the years everyone joked about how Steve became the resident babysitter of Hawkins, but it’s times like this that Nancy remembers that it is a real friendship that Steve struck with the group of kids, sure he looks out for them, tries to keep them safe and away from danger. But these are his friends, they have a real, true friendship between them and it’s a lovely thing to witness. She sometimes wishes she could have had that type of strong relationship with the children, but part of her knows that it’s a nice thing for Steve to have. It’s his unique thing and Nancy knows that part of Steve will always believe that’s all he brings to the table when it comes to their fights with the upside down.

Before Nancy can say anything else, Dustin is calling Steve’s name, gesturing for him to return to the dance floor. Steve gives Nancy a smile before picking his two drinks up and heading back through the string of guests towards the dance floor and his waiting friends. Nancy is about to head back over herself when Joyce approaches.

She still looks as radiant as she did before, her hair is starting to fall out of its high style, and her skin has a red glow to it, showing she is hot which Nancy equates to heat inside the room and the dancing she had saw the older woman doing earlier. Her smile is still as bright as I had been all day; Nancy had yet to see it slip all day.

“Nancy it’s so lovely to see you dear. It feels like forever since we last saw each other now that you are Jonathan are at college. How are you?” She asks, bringing the young girl in for a tight hug which Nancy gladly accepts.

“I’m really good thank you, it’s is lovely to be back and for such an amazing occasion. Congratulations by the way, the whole day has been beautiful and you look exquisite.” Nancy complements the woman she now basically sees as a second mom. She takes note of how Joyce blushes under her words as she glances down at her shoes for a moment or two before looking back up at Nancy.

“Thank you my dear, I’m just happy everyone is having a good time and enjoying themselves, that means the most to me.” Joyce tells her, the bright smile still on her face although it seems softer somehow.

Nancy spends another five minutes with Joyce before Hopper comes by to see where his new wife has disappeared too and Nancy excuses herself to return to Jonathan and her friends on the dance floor.

The night continues in similar fashion, filled with laughter, dancing and friends. People start to trickle out as the night draws to a close, Nancy bids farewell to her parents and siblings since she’s going home with Jonathan, Mike sulks and complains about how he is getting dragged home and so he can’t stay longer with his friends when Nancy can. Her mom just tells him to get over it before basically pushing him out the door.

Eventually the only people remaining are their small group - minus Lucas who went home with his parents and Erica shortly after the Wheelers had big goodnight - and they all gather outside in order to big the happy couple farewell.

A cold chill has finally settled around them and Jonathan offers Nancy his suit jacket as they make their way out of the hall towards their friends and she pulls it around her to keep in the heat. They head down the stairs to the small cluster of people stood around, she spots Steve and Robin huddled off to the side while they share a cigarette, Robin has Steve’s suit jacket round her own shoulders. Dustin and Will are engaged in a conversation I some sort – Mrs. Henderson has headed out at the same time as the Sinclair’s, but had agreed to let Dustin get a lift off Steve after a little too much begging - while El and Max are also engaged in their own conversation.

As Nancy and Jonathan reach the bottom of the stairs the newlyweds finally emerge from the hall, the group coming together to applaud and cheer for them as they descend the stairs, their hands intertwined, and make their way towards the car that they’ve hired to take them to the hotel. They pause to say goodbye to everyone and offer around hugs before they continue on, waving goodbye from the car.

The group stays at the end of the stairs until the car has disappeared into the night before they offer up their own goodbyes and head in the direction of the two cars which are actually parked right beside one another. Nancy heads to the passenger side of Jonathan’s car while El and Will pile into the back.

Beside her the other group seems to be arguing about where everyone was sitting. Max had called shotgun and Robin was driving since Steve had drank a few too many beers to be safely driving, and now Steve was put out about how he was been delegated to the back of his own car and Dustin was arguing that he should get dibs on the shotgun seat since he was best friends with the owner of the car. Nancy chuckled and ducked into her boyfriends car, closing the door and finally shutting out the conversation. Jonathan starting the car and they are soon heading back to Byers house for the night, Nancy settling down with a smile at how perfect the day had been.

**Author's Note:**

> So hope you enjoyed this fic and thank you for reading. I'm sorry for the lack of vows or verbal conversations throughout the story. As i've somehow established in my other ST fics that i've wrote, I'm not great when it comes to writing dialogue, I can never seem to strike the correct balance between too much or too little and so I end up avoiding it most of the time. Thats why most of my fics are observational. 
> 
> Quick question, would anyone be interested in a fic that looked at Steve and Robin's life in California/college. In my head i've created a whole storyline and timeline about their life away from Hawkins and since I am always drawn towards the pair whenever i'm writing my one shots I thought it would be interesting to write a full fic just based on their life together. It would be similar to my other fics with minimum dialogue and more like expanded bullet points/observations as they navigate the four years of college and beyond. So if you'd be interested then please drop me a comment or you can come and send me a message on my tumblr (mrjacobsantiagos) and i can have an idea of the response it might receive.
> 
> Anyway, if you like the story, comments and kudos are appreciated. If you want to chat, you can also find me on tumblr at mrjacobsantiagos. Thank you.


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